Establishment of a Liaison Office in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

On October 1, 2012, Sumitomo Corporation (Head Office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Kuniharu Nakamura) re-established a liaison representative office in Dar es Salaam in the United Republic of Tanzania, bringing the Company's total number of business sites in sub-Saharan Africa to six.

With a population of 45 million, Tanzania is blessed with abundant natural resources, a stable political environment, and well-maintained public order. Backed by these advantages, the country numbers among the sub-Saharan African nations that are achieving notable economic growth. In June 2012, Sumitomo Corporation received an order from Tanzania's power utility to construct a natural gas-fired combined power plant. This project provided an impetus for the Company to establish an office in Dar es Salaam in the hope of setting down firm roots in the region, fostering new businesses that will contribute to the country's further development, and building them up to be major pillars of profitability.

The year 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of Sumitomo Corporation's advancement into sub-Saharan Africa, which began with the dispatch of a single expatriate employee to Johannesburg in South Africa. Over the years, the Company has engaged in the import and export of goods between South Africa and Japan, bringing South African woodchips and iron and manganese ores into Japan and sending back Japanese automobiles and agrichemicals. Since designating sub-Saharan Africa as a strategically important region in 2009 in light of its accelerating economic development, Sumitomo Corporation has notably been striving to expand into new businesses and reinforce its network of bases in the region. Presently, the Johannesburg Branch serves as the central office in sub-Saharan Africa, coordinating and providing operational support to all other offices in the region. A liaison office was also opened in Accra, Ghana in May 2011, to oversee the Company's business in West Africa.

Sumitomo Corporation will step up its efforts to explore new business opportunities in the fast-growing continent.